Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 359: The Ming Dynasty Has a Divine Artifact

Nurhaci was not very familiar with Yuan Keli, even though he had served as inspector and governor of Liaodong for several years.

However, from the first year of Taichang until the outbreak of the war last year, Yuan Keli's performance in Liaodong was nothing more than a capable border official. He rectified the border troops, enforced strict military discipline, and appeased the border residents. Of course, Yuan Keli was an outstanding figure in Nurhaci's impression, but that was all.

The first to face Yuan Keli's military capabilities on the battlefield were Lindan Batur and Dai Qing. They were blocked by Yuan Keli to the west of Daling River and could not move forward, which eventually delayed the precious time for breaking out.

If nothing changes, Nurhaci will eventually face Yuan Keli.

At that time, Ming Dynasty's Liaodong continued to be completely lost. Nurhaci had actually realized his strategy of controlling Liaodong and forming an alliance with Tatar, and the Ming Dynasty was already in danger.

Yuan Keli, who had just been appointed governor of Denglai in the second year of the Tianqi reign, used Shandong as his base and the navy as his highlight. He commanded his general Mao Wenlong and the navy's Shen Yourong to use warships to attack the islands in Liaodong. A year later, he recovered Lushun and the southern Liaoning area around the three guards of Jinzhou, Fuzhou and Gaizhou.

A big hole appeared behind Nurhaci, which prevented him from advancing further.

The chess game of southern Liaoning brought life to the entire Liaodong. The situation of losing territory and cities was transformed into a strategy of attack instead of defense to recover southern Liaoning.

However, his career in this area lasted only five years. In the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, he retired again due to party struggles and the exclusion of Wei Zhongxian. As a result, the Liaodong war situation, which had finally improved in the Ming Dynasty, inevitably collapsed.

Now Nurhaci had witnessed Yuan Keli's capabilities in advance, and he was surrounded by him in his own capital.

Yuan Keli was seen riding on a horse, drawing his bow and shooting an arrow at the south bank of the Suzi River outside the north gate of Hetuala City.

"Take off your armor and abandon your weapons, swim across this place, and the Ming Dynasty will surrender!"

"Great archery skills, Governor!"

"The Governor is mighty!"

Yuan Keli "was skilled in riding, archery and swordplay, so he managed the soldiers' training, managed the taxation and taxation, and made the soldiers obey him."

Listening to the Ming army in the north of the city cheering for Yuan Keli, Nurhaci turned around with a gloomy look and looked at everyone.

Not only Yuan Keli's central army in the north and west of the city, but also the Ming army in the southwest and south of the city advanced and retreated in a measured manner.

He was more familiar with the commander over there. After all, it was Xiong Tingbi who was in charge of resisting his offensive at the end of last year.

As for the east...that was the army led by Liu Jing, Marquis of Zhangyong, who arrived first and was extremely brave.

The city of Hetuala has indeed been surrounded, and it is difficult to break through from any side.

"Your Majesty..." Among the three tribes of surrendered dignitaries who Nurhaci believed might have ulterior motives, some made people feel uneasy when they saw him.

"Anyone who dares to surrender will be killed!" Nurhaci only said, "Wait! Yangguli and Zhu Ying will definitely capture Ula City. Wait, rest well, and wait for the opportunity!"

Destruction is always easier than construction, and Nurhaci didn't care about the wooden wall they had built now.

What was even more difficult for him now was that Yuan Keli and Xiong Tingbi often forced the abandoned people from the three tribes who came here to work to eat while shouting across the river, disrupting his military morale.

Following Nurhaci down the city wall, Huerhan whispered: "Your Majesty, if this continues..."

"hold on."

Nurhaci said this dully, then looked far to the south.

"...When most of the snow in the mountains melts, the road will be easier to walk on."

Yes, this was mainly what he was waiting for.

Otherwise, how easy would it be to lead so many people across mountains and rivers for thousands of miles?
The snow here does not completely melt until March or even April every year.

It's almost March now.

Huerhan hesitated to speak.

After the snow melted, the elite troops of the Jin Dynasty could indeed move faster, but the pursuing troops of the Ming Dynasty could also move faster.

Now, the wooden walls around Hetuala City are being extended, raised and reinforced every day.

It was like a cage, bringing increasing psychological pressure to the Jurchens in Hetuala City.

If this continues, how much morale will be left when we really need to break out?
Will there be mutiny or rebellion during this period?

Nurhaci stopped walking and whispered, "You... pretend to discuss countermeasures with everyone..."

Huerhan was shocked and looked at Nurhaci's back.

"Inside and outside the city... you can't take all the people away. Don't go to Sarhu, just send a lot of people there so that they have to leave enough soldiers to watch over them... It just so happens that they have found so many people from the three tribes to work..."

Hu Erhan understood that there was more to it than just that. Did the emperor want him to pretend to be worried about the situation and support those who wanted to surrender?
If there is an insider... the Ming army might be more relaxed and discuss how to coordinate the internal and external forces?

On the north bank of the Suzi River, Yuan Keli returned to the big tent.

The imperial edict arrived first, and Yu Zigao was promoted to the Duke of Jingguo. The morale of the three armies was at its peak, and everyone was eager to break the city and capture the bandits and make great contributions.

Although he had the support of the emperor and the Privy Council in adopting this strategy, it was not easy to control his restless subordinates.

For example, this young captain Mao Wenlong.

Although he is young, he is already 34 years old.

Although he was of military origin, if his uncle had not left any offspring, it would not have been his turn to inherit his uncle's hereditary position in Haizhou Guard in Liaodong.

The Captain of Anshan, the Captain of Liaoyang... Yuan Keli gradually discovered him after he arrived in Liaodong, and now he has recommended him to be a guerrilla general.

Mao Wenlong had previously made new contributions by blocking the Tatar Khan's army west of the Daling River. Although not as impressive as Qiao Yiqi's killing of Daiqing's brother Shi Bao with one arrow, he also repeatedly resisted the Tatar army's attacks in front of Yuan Keli's central army.

When he got here and learned that the Tianshu Camp had made remarkable achievements and that Marquis Zhangyong had conquered several camps in a row, how could Mao Wenlong hold back?

"Commander-in-chief, the Jiannu are already scared. Since they dare only hide in the city, why don't they attack this small city in one go? Ten thousand cannons will only take half a day!"

"Military orders are as heavy as a mountain! You must do whatever the commander-in-chief tells you to do." Yuan Keli frowned, "Go and supervise the transportation of stones and wood!"

Mao Wenlong was still afraid of him, although he still muttered unwillingly: "Some people say that the governor is thinking about the brothers and giving them some breathing space. Maybe he will let them go, so that Liaodong can continue to fight..."

Yuan Keli turned around suddenly: "Who said that?"

"..."

Mao Wenlong met his sharp gaze, then lowered his head in fear: "There are many people who think so, Governor. After all, such a small city... it is not difficult to break it. Some people also say that the court only praised the merits of the Tianshu Camp. Maybe it is because of the tight money, so the governor surrounded it but did not attack. In this way, even if the Jiannu surrender, the merits of the soldiers are even smaller, and it is all the governor who planned and strategized..."

Yuan Keli's face was gloomy.

It is difficult for ordinary soldiers to understand the longer-term considerations.

Although great success is within reach, Yuan Keli has adopted such a strategy, so all kinds of comments are inevitable.

But Mao Wenlong's answer in this way in response to his clear inquiry shows that he also thought so in his heart, and that there were far more people who thought so than Yuan Keli imagined.

"Go and pass on my order! All the officers above the rank of deputy commander of the Central Army, come to my tent!"

Some things must be made clear to them.

It is certainly not impossible for the Ming army to quickly capture this small city, but how can they only focus on the achievements in front of them and ignore the future prospects?
How big was a town in Liaodong in the past?

When the Yehe tribe moved westward and the Jianzhou Jurchens were driven out, the territory that the Liaodong Town would have to garrison in the future would be more than two or three times larger than it is now?
But would the Ming Dynasty expand the size of its border troops in Liaodong? Would it spend more on military expenses? And what would be the point of eliminating the threat from the north?
Therefore, Yuan Keli had to make the best use of the existing castles and tribesmen of the Jurchen tribes to reduce the cost of defending this place in the future and further sweeping away the remaining rebels.

They could not simply massacre ordinary Jurchens without scruples.

The territory is too large. How many people can be relocated simply to settle on the border?
Not long after, all the generals from the central army gathered in his tent.

Yuan Keli first looked around at them, then spoke, startling everyone: "Let me ask you, do you know why the Western Regions are cut off now? During the powerful Han and Tang dynasties, the Western Regions were controlled, all the way to the east, west, south and north of the Tianshan Mountains. During the time of our Ming Taizu and Chengzu, the military might was no less powerful than that of the Han and Tang dynasties. Why didn't we take over the Western Regions, but only built Jiayu Pass and set up seven guards?"

Most of these generals did not understand this, and they did not understand why the right commander-in-chief suddenly mentioned this.

"no one!"

Yuan Keli said this and then began to tell them a story.

Guanzhong was still a political and economic center during the Han and Tang dynasties. At that time, there were many Han people in the Hexi Corridor, the trade routes were prosperous, and the land could produce more grain.

But after the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Western Xia first appeared there. Unlike the Han people, the land was damaged severely enough.

Before the Mongols swept across the Central Plains, they first destroyed the Western Xia.

How heavy was the slaughter during the Mongol Yuan Dynasty? Later, the people were divided into different factions, and they imposed heavy taxes and levied heavy taxes, which led to endless civil strife. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, there were many more years of war.

"In the fifth year of Hongwu, Duke Ying and Duke Song led their armies from the west to the north. That year, the three armies marched north, but only the western army won seven battles in a row. Was it because the Western Regions were difficult to conquer? Wherever the army went, there were few men left, and even fewer Han people. So what if they conquered them?"

Yuan Keli knew that there were other reasons. For example, the main enemy of the Ming Dynasty was no longer located further west than in the Han and Tang Dynasties, but in the Hulunbuir and Xilin Gol areas west of the Greater Khingan Range.

The Western Regions were also submissive to the Ming Dynasty at that time, and the conflicts were not great. When the Oirat was driven west by the Tatars, they would not join forces with the Tatars, and the Ming Dynasty would not have to launch an expedition to the Western Regions to disrupt the balance of power.

But as far as territorial expansion is concerned, the population of the Western Regions in the early Ming Dynasty was indeed too small to support too many border troops to be stationed in more remote places for a long time.

"It's the same with Liaodong now." Yuan Keli said with certainty, "The Jianzhou Jurchens will definitely be pacified, but how can we keep this place stable in the future and prevent them from causing trouble again? During the Xian Temple period, the Jurchens plundered the land and dug holes, but a hundred years later, they multiplied and prospered again, and even established a country and called themselves emperors! It's easy to conquer territory, but it's hard to keep it!"

Looking at them one by one with sharp eyes, Yuan Keli slowly admonished: "I know that many soldiers have their own thoughts. The great achievement is just around the corner, why not attack? But why waste lives on the attack? Why only focus on the achievement in front of you? North Korea has also rebelled now, and there are more people in Gansu, Shaanxi, and Ningxia. If you want to make achievements, is Liaodong the only one this time? If you don't fight blood, you can keep the elite soldiers. Liaodong Town will be easier to defend in the future, and there will be more places to make achievements in the future!"

"...The governor's teaching is right." Seeing that Yuan Keli looked unhappy, some people quickly spoke up to express their opinions.

The current Privy Council is different from the previous Ministry of War and the Five Ministries. There is a special Military Discipline Inspection Office in the Privy Council.

The Emperor and the Privy Council both approved of Yuan Keli's strategy, and they all knew it.

Now Yuan Keli was solemnly reasoning with them. If they continued to be confused, it was unknown who Governor Yuan would deal with first to establish his authority.

Yuan Keli's expression eased a lot, and then he spoke to them earnestly about the future.

After the Liaodong Town was changed to a garrison, it was mainly used to guard against the remaining Jurchens and Khorchins. From the Tongliao, Fuzhou, Liaoyuan Military and Civilian Prefectures to the Jianzhou Military and Civilian Prefecture that would be established in this area, it was "poor and blank".

Without the solid border walls of the Great Wall, the territory is more vast and the mountains are more densely covered. I wonder how many troops are needed to coordinate them well.

Of course, we should retain as many existing cities, forts, and strongholds as possible, as they will make future garrisons easier.

Therefore, Hetuala City was to become a model. The Ming Dynasty did this to distinguish the Jurchen nobles from the Jurchen common people.

The Jianzhou Jurchens were already defeated, so naturally many people wanted to surrender to save their lives. The Ming Dynasty surrounded but did not attack, which seemed more benevolent; and the people of the three tribes who surrendered helped the Ming Dynasty build wooden fortress walls, stuttered, and got along well with the Ming Dynasty. Isn't this a role model?
Yuan Keli told them that if they spared more lives, they could marry Jurchen women, have children, and settle down here. After one or two generations, the Liaodong Town of the Ming Dynasty would be truly stable. Now, there would be no military personnel in the nine frontiers, and all of them would be civilians. If they continued to serve in the army, they would be reused and would not have to worry about their salaries; if they did not want to serve in the army, they could also find good jobs because they had settled down here and had connections with both tribes.

Whether it's studying to become an official, buying fields and mountains, or organizing Jurchen relatives to go up the mountain to collect ginseng, hunt and do business, it's better than attacking here and losing your life, right?
"The Suzi River is melting. After we cross the river, we are not far from the city wall. Arrows are raining down. Why bother to attack? You want to make achievements, but the soldiers may not think this is a bad thing!" Yuan Keli concluded, "If we siege for one more day, we will get more money and our lives will not be in danger. Isn't that the truth?"

Just as someone was about to reply, Qiao Yiqi came in from outside the tent, leading two people, one of whom was holding a box.

"Your Majesty has specially sent someone to deliver a sharp weapon." Qiao Yiqi pointed at the box, "Your Majesty ordered that the governor should make good use of it. This telescope has the power of clairvoyance. The skilled craftsmen of the Institute of Research are working hard to make more. This one is a unique trial product, and it was used by Your Majesty himself."

"Clairvoyance?" Yuan Keli was surprised, and then he walked to the south to express his gratitude to the imperial envoy who had come to deliver the gift. "Your Majesty, I, Yuan Keli, thank you for the reward. Long live Your Majesty!"

The two men dodged and one of them said, "Eunuch Liu ordered that this is not a reward. He said that after more are made, every general in the Ming Dynasty will have one. This will be the common military equipment of the Privy Council in the future."

After that, he handed the box to Yuan Keli and said, "General Yuan, take it first. We left the capital together with the messenger who came before us, and we dare not hurry to avoid damaging the item. General, please check it quickly. If it is still damaged, we will be guilty of a great crime."

Yuan Keli took the box curiously, walked back to his seat, put it on the table and then opened the box.

At this time, Mao Wenlong and others were already standing on tiptoe to watch.

Clairvoyance? That's a bit too scary.

"Commander-in-chief, Eunuch Liu said that the small end should be placed in front of one eye, and the large end should be facing where one wants to look."

They were naturally also told how to use it.

Yuan Keli took it out as he was told.

It is more than one foot long, with the thin end as thick as a wrist and the other end as thick as a neck.

Yuan Keli felt it was a little heavy when he held it in his hand, but as long as he didn't hold it up all the time, it wasn't hard.

He himself had good arm strength, so he just picked it up carefully, preparing to take a look at it while asking, "Like this?"

"You can close the other eye."

"Ouch!" Yuan Keli shouted and almost lost his balance.

"How is it, Governor?"

"This..." Yuan Keli couldn't believe it, then narrowed his eyes, "Let me go out of the tent and take a look..."

The person he was facing just now was Mao Wenlong who was close to him. What he saw in front of him was a huge eyeball, which scared Yuan Keli.

But he already roughly understood what it was used for. After all, the emperor had mentioned some of these things when he inspected the military industrial park before.

After leaving the tent, he held his breath again and pointed the telescope at the distant city of Hetuala.

After one eye closed, his mouth opened wide.

On the city wall, the worried expression on the face of a Jurchen soldier guarding the city appeared clearly in front of him.

"Commander-in-chief, it is intact, right?"

"Okay!" Yuan Keli moved a little, then slowed down the pace, saying, "Okay, okay, okay!"

"Governor, can you let us open our eyes too?" A group of people came over.

“No hurry!” Yuan Keli protected it tightly, “This is a divine weapon, you must be careful and don’t damage it at all! You…”

He held the telescope as if it were a treasure, and after looking at the generals, he saw pairs of curious and excited eyes.

"...Those who have met the Jurchen generals and dignitaries, stay and follow me to the arrow tower." He made the arrangements and then said to Qiao Yiqi, "Please ask the two eunuchs to rest first and treat them well. Thank you for your help, the item is intact. Once it is delivered to me, it will surely accomplish extraordinary feats. I will first observe the enemy's situation, and then I will draft a letter of thanks and present it to the emperor, and I will definitely ask for credit for the two eunuchs!"

"Just deliver it in good condition." The two eunuchs smiled happily. "We were ordered to do our job, so it's not a great achievement."

"Commander-in-chief, is it really that magical?"

Yuan Keli smiled and looked at them, then sighed, "If this telescope can really allow everyone of you to have one in the future... marching, fighting, and making achievements will be a piece of cake! Without further ado, let's go to the Arrow Tower first and see if I can find where Nurhaci is!"

(End of this chapter)